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South Jersey Crash Leaves Former Miss NJ Seriously Injured

A car crash in South Jersey Monday night left a former Miss New Jersey in critical condition.

Cara McCollum, 24, an anchor for SNJ Today, was traveling north on Route 55 in Pittsgrove Township, Salem County just before 7 p.m. when police say her car spun off the road and struck a tree head-on near milemarker 38.4.

Her car spun and struck two more trees before stopping at the bottom of an embankment, according to police. McCollum, who is originally from Arkansas, was the only person in the car at the time.

Authorities said the crash remained under investigation Tuesday, but it appeared that wet roads may have played a role.

McCollum, who was crowned Miss New Jersey in 2013, was taken to a South Jersey hospital in critical condition. She remained there Tuesday.

McCollum joined Millville-based SNJ Today to anchor its first-ever news broadcasts in July. She earned her bachelor’s degree in English with a certificate in journalism from Princeton University in 2015, and was valedictorian of the class of 2010 at Forrest City High School in Forrest City, Ark.

On its Facebook page in a post about McCollum’s accident, SNJ Today called the anchor a “beloved member” of the station’s family.

“She and her family are in our thoughts and prayers,” the post read.

Copyright AP - Associated Press
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